The APEEE Services - Transport is a service provided by and for APEEE member families.

By requesting the enrolment of your child in this service, you commit yourself to become a member of the APEEE and therefore to pay the annual fee of the APEEE. The fee is 55 € per family.
In accordance with the statutes of the APEEE, any failure to pay the APEEE fee will result in the cancellation of orders placed with the various services.

By placing an order with our service, you are deemed to have accepted our rules and the general conditions of the association.

You will find hereafter the general rules of the APEEE Services transport service, which were last updated on 30/09/2024. 

1. General information

1.1. Mission of the Transport Service

The mission of the Transport Service is to transport pupils, from nursery to secondary school and from all language sections, between home and school (in the morning) and school and home or daycare (in the afternoon). However, the European Schools' transport services do not offer a door-to-door service, and the rules governing the distance between home and the stop are left to the discretion of the services operating at each site.
Furthermore, the transport of children to places other than home or daycare is a prerogative granted in certain cases by the Transport service, subject certain conditions. For more information on this subject, see point 3.3. of these rules.

1.2. Transport Service timetable

The Transport Service is available to parents for enrolments and for any information concerning transport to school during the school year.

The office is closed during the school holidays and from 15^th July 2024 to 23^rd August 2024 inclusive.
During the school year, the office is physically open :

• in Uccle every day from 8.30 a.m. to 3.15 p.m. except on Wednesdays from 8.30 a.m. to 12 noon. 

• in Berkendael every day from 8.15am to 8.45am and 3.00 pm except on Wednesdays from  to 12.15pm

In case of emergency, a telephone service is available until 5.45 p.m. and on Wednesdays until 2.15 p.m. - a single number to contact the Transport Service in Uccle or Berkendael:

2. Municipalities served

The collection areas are limited to the municipalities listed below:

* Partially served municipalities. There are also differences in the areas served for pupils attending the Uccle and Berkendael sites.

For more details on the management of stops and routes please refer to point 8. 

For any relocation, please follow the procedure described in point 10.5

3. Enrolments

3.1. Enrolment procedure school year 2024/2025

Only registered children can be admitted to a bus.

3.1.a/ For pupils already at school :

• Parents must update their registrations during May and June (the exact date of re-registration is announced each year by email to all registered parents). For 2024/2025, registration will open on June 10^th, 2024.

• All registrations will then be automatically renewed for the following year BUT please note that the essential data (postal addresses, contact number, desired stop) must then be verified and validated by the parents. Final confirmation of stop, timetable and route will only be available a few days before the start of the school year, since the number of buses, places and routes are fixed around August 15^th on the basis of all registrations.

• Only students in good standing will be considered.

3.1. b/ For new students at the school : 

• Registration is done on the APEEE Services website via the tab

• For obvious logistical reasons, new parents are asked to register as soon as possible. The number of buses, places and itineraries are fixed around August 15^th, and can be seen on the orders only a few days before the start of the school year. For registrations made after this date and for which the buses/stops offered are not suitable, please refer to the following point 3.2.

3.2. Changes of stops and routes

PHASE 1 :

Between 10 June and 15 August, at the time of enrolment or re-registration, requests for new stops should be sent via the comment in the order. You can then check in your order the day before the start of the school year whether your request has been accepted.

PHASE 2 :

After 15 August and until 1 October, in the event of a move, a new registration or a refusal of your application in phase 1, requests for new stops or changes to routes should be sent by email: transport@apeee-bxl1-services.be for Uccle or transport.berkendael@apeee-bxl1-services.be for Berkendael with object: stopover modification request
All requests will be analysed together and submitted to the Management Committee for approval or refusal.

• All changes agreed by the Transport Service will be implemented after the autumn break.

• The families concerned will be notified of the decision by email before the autumn holidays. The modified routes will be distributed to all users on the buses before implementation.

After 1 October, the Transport Service is no longer obliged to consider new requests for changes even if you move or register again.

3.3. Stop and bus selection

The purpose of the Transport service is to transport children between school and home*/outside day care and will therefore always give priority to children who are regularly enrolled to return home.
The Transport service nevertheless authorises parents to select a different bus to go to an activity organised by an extra-mural association, subject to available places. In the event of a change during the year (new pupils, moving house, etc.), the Transport Service is entitled to cancel the registration of children who use the bus to go to the said activity in order to free up places. In addition, the Transport Service is not obliged to request a bus with a larger capacity, to add a bus line or to modify existing lines so that children can go to regular or occasional extra-mural activities during the school year.

*Please note that the European Schools' transport services do not offer a door-to-door service.

3.4. Bus change request(s)

As safety regulations limit the maximum number of passengers on the bus, pupils are only allowed to change routes punctually, regularly or permanently upon written request from their parents (for kids under 18):

• by means of an annotation in the pupil's diary and presented to the Transport Service office, which must stamp it for approval

• by sending an email followed by a positive response from the Transport Service

• Occasional users who are not registered with the transport service must purchase a ticket at the transport office. To do so, the kindergarten, primary or secondary school pupil must have written parental authorization in the diary or sent by email in advance, the sum of €8 per journey required, and come to the Transport office at least 2 days in advance. Only 2 tickets can be purchased per month.

N.B.: Parents who wish to invite several pupils to their home (for a birthday party for example) must first send a request to the Transport Service and WAIT for the department's agreement before confirming the invitation. If the Transport Service gives its agreement, the organising parent will then be asked to centralise the list of invited children and, if necessary, to pay the tickets for all the children who are not registered for transport at once.

These requests must be sent at least 48 hours in advance to the Transport Service office. The Transport Service will give its agreement within the limits of available places.

3.5. Cancellation of the subscription

Any cancellation of the School Transport subscription must be notified in writing to the Transport Service. The suspension of the subscription will begin on the day of receipt of this letter. The season ticket must also be handed in or returned to the Transport Service office as soon as possible.

4. Price and payment of the subscription

The price of the subscription will be fixed each year according to the number of pupils and the number of buses, so as to cover the costs.
Neither the number of children per family nor the distance of the journey has any impact on the price of the subscription.
The price of the childcare pass is half the price of the full pass.

4.1. Terms of payment

4.1. a/ Parents who are not officials of the European Communities

For parents who do not benefit from the school allowance, the payment of the subscription for the school year 2024/2025 is spread out and will be made in three instalments. 
The amount of the subscription for the year 2024/2025 is : 2.820,00 €*

for the 1^st term ( 1.135,00 €) 
   for the 2^nd term ( 1.008,00 €) 
for the 3^rd term ( 677,00 €)  

The corresponding payment requests will be sent to you by email at the beginning of each term (please note that for the first term, applications are generally sent at the end of September/beginning of October, although children can already use the service on the first day of school).

Of course, for enrolments during the year, the price is calculated on a pro rata basis for the days in the current term.

Please note: if your child has stopped taking the bus/never taken the bus, you will be billed for transport up to the date of receipt of the cancellation email.

In the event of non-payment, and after notification, the service reserves the right to refuse access to the bus, until the amounts due have been collected. In the event of two consecutive late payments, the Transport Service reserves the right to invoice the following year for the amounts due in advance.

If your child only uses the bus for going to an OIB garderie, you benefit from the "garderie uniquuement"-transport fee (50%), that is, 1.410,00 €: 567,50 € for the 1^st term, 504 € for the 2^nd term and 338,5 € for the 3^rd term.

*The amount of the subscription for the school year is set on the basis of the budget approved by the GA of the previous year. This amount is subject to quarterly review on the basis of actual results calculated during the year.

4.1. b/ Parents who are officials of the European Communities with children in kindergarten

As officials of the European Institutions who have children attending nursery school do not receive an education allowance, they should refer to point 4.1.a.

4.1. c/ Parents who are officials of the European Communities (other)

Officials of the European Institutions who are entitled to an education allowance - from the first year of primary school - are exempt from paying the subscription directly, provided that it is paid by their employer on time. To do this, parents must personally check with their HR department that the costs will be covered.

The Community Institutions can pay the amounts due for subscriptions directly to the service. In the event of non-payment by the Institution concerned, within the time limit and for any reason whatsoever, the service reserves the right to invoice the cost of the subscription directly to the parents.

In the event of non-payment, and after notification, the service reserves the right to refuse access to the transport service until the amounts due have been collected. In the event of two consecutive late payments, the Transport service reserves the right to invoice the following year for the amounts due in advance.

Please note that parents of contract staff, temporary staff, Commission and EEAS officials whose child(ren) attend primary or secondary school must also submit a declaration of schooling for their child(ren) via SYSPER at the beginning of each school year in order to be eligible for the Commission/EAS transport pass.

Any change of institution and/or status must be communicated to us as soon as possible.

N.B.: The procedure for the school year 2023/2024 will be launched around September and staff will be informed. You should not enter your 2023/2024 school declaration(s) in SYSPER before then. 

4.1. d/ Exchanges between European Schools (Student Mobility Programme)

Parents of children registered with the Transport service and who are participating in an exchange programme must inform the Transport service of the exchange period and therefore of the pupil's absence. 
Please note that parents must enter two school declarations in SYSPER for the school year in question: 

• At the beginning of the school year 

• When the child returns to the mother school    

4.2. Billing principles

• A full season ticket entitles the holder to transport to and from the school - the full season ticket is due even if the child has been absent due to illness, school trips or exclusion, even if the child only takes the bus to and from the school, even if the child only takes the bus a few days a week.

• The garderie pass entitles the user to transport ONLY to and from the EC after-school care centre (OIB) and amounts to half the full pass.

• Occasional users must buy a ticket at the transport office. To do so, the kindergarten, primary or secondary school pupil must have a written authorisation from the parents in the diary or sent by email in advance, the sum of 8€ per journey required, and come at least 2 days in advance to the Transport Office. It is only possible to buy 2 tickets per month.

4.3. Obligation related to the APEEE

The APEEE services - Transport is a service provided by and for APEEE member families. By requesting the enrolment of your child in this service, you commit yourself to become a member of the APEEE and therefore to pay the annual APEEE fee. This request for payment is sent to you directly by the APEEE and does not block the registration process for the services. However, in the absence of payment of the APEEE fee, in accordance with the decision taken at the General Assembly of the APEEE on 7 December 2010, registration for the service may then be cancelled.

5. Routes

Due to traffic conditions, bus schedules may vary. Students and their parents must be present at the bus stop 5 minutes before the scheduled time, whether in the morning or afternoon.
This is in order to :

• facilitate the boarding and disembarking of children
• prevent mistakes by children who find themselves alone at their stop
• give the children time to settle down before the bus starts up again
• avoid blocking traffic as much as possible

Please note that if a child/parent is regularly absent from the stop 5 minutes before the official time, he/she may be considered late and the bus will be entitled to leave during this time. The Transport Department therefore stresses the importance of parents and children respecting this 5-minute rule. If you notice a systematic variation (early or late) of the bus in relation to the theoretical timetable, please notify the Transport department by email. A global revision of the timetable could then be envisaged to better correspond to the reality on the ground.

Any change of route or closure of the school (for example, in case of heavy snow) will be indicated on the APEEE Services website.

5.1. Modification of routes

Bus drivers and supervisors are not empowered to solve problems concerning the bus route, but are empowered to enforce the rules to maintain discipline and safety. Parents also have no authority to change the bus route. In the event of a problem, users are invited to send an email to the Transport Service which will follow up as soon as possible (depending on the time of year).

5.2. The routes list

The list of routes (stops and times) is available on the Internet via a secure page in the Transport section of the APEEE Services website (connection to this secure page is explained on the Transport Service website) and, of course, by email to the Transport Service office.

5.3. The stops

• The Transport department has no formal obligation to respect any distance or travel time between a stop and home, whatever the age of the child/children concerned or the family situation.

• Stops should ideally group together children from several families.

• A bus line may not provide more than 10 stops.

• Two successive stops cannot be too close to each other (minimum distance between two stops 400m. by Royal Decree of 16/9/79). The presence of a major obstacle: a major crossroads such as Meiser, or the presence of a main road such as the inner ring road, however, makes it possible to derogate from this rule - when possible.

• Buses running on public transport routes should ideally stop at official public transport stops, so as to minimize traffic disruption and take advantage of any existing infrastructure.

• There is an area very close to the European School (about 1,100m around the school) where school buses are not provided in order to favour soft modes of transport for these families (walking, cycling).

• Stops are allocated on an annual basis and are therefore subject to change from one year to the next, depending on changes in the location of pupils. A stop may therefore be cancelled or moved to another line (with a different timetable), even if one or more families are regularly registered at that stop.

5.4. Other characteristics

• In order to operate a bus, the revenue from the route must cover at least 80% of the costs incurred.

• The most distant stops must be served each morning before those close to the school. In the evening, they should be served after those closest to the school.

• Stops should be assigned to routes in such a way as to balance the number of passengers on the different vehicles.

• The maximum duration of a journey must not exceed one hour (in the morning) on a bus in circulation. The start and end times of classes should not be taken as the basis for calculating this time, since for obvious logistical reasons not all buses can arrive and leave the school site at exactly the same time.

• Belgian traffic laws apply.

6. Bus card

6.1. ID photo

From September 2024, the transport will not have access to the photograph's pictures. Therefore, if your child's picture has already been uploaded on your child's account, the transport will use it for creating his/her bus card. If not, the transport will ask you to send one by mail.

6.2. Bus card

The subscription card is traditionally distributed in November to pupils who have been accepted for registration. Children should carry it with them at all times (a good idea for younger children is to hang it in their diary). Parents are also asked to write all this information directly in the diary.

The subscription is valid from September to July.

• Pupils without a season ticket cannot, as a matter of principle, use school buses.
• In the event of a change of address, involving a change of school route, parents are requested to return the pass card to the transport office, mentioning the new address.
• The pass of a student who no longer uses the school transport services must be returned immediately to the Transport Office.
• In case of loss, the pupil must request a duplicate from the transport office for a fee of € 2.50.

6.3. Controls

Regular checks are carried out on the buses to ensure that all users have their season ticket. Any user who does not have their card with them at the second check will be required to purchase a ticket and pay the €8.00 fee, the request for payment will be sent to the parents.

For secondary school pupils who are not in possession of their transport card, the service reserves the right to require them to present their card the following day at the transport office. If the card is lost, the student must buy a new one for €2.50.

7. Fraud on the bus

7.1. Fines

A pupil using the buses of the Transport service without prior registration (season ticket or ticket) is penalised by a fine. Parents will be notified of the fraud by mail. 

The price of the fines is increasing:  

7.2. Payment of fines

This sum must be paid as soon as possible, on pain of disciplinary sanctions, by bank transfer to account number BE77 3100 8642 2642 of the Transport Service.

7.3. Disciplinary measures

The Transport Service reserves the right to take disciplinary action in agreement with the school in the event that the fine is not paid within 15 days of receipt of the registered letter.

8. Discipline

8.1. Supervisors on buses

An adult supervisor is present in each school bus, either on Uccle's or Berkendael's site.

They are appointed by Group Cleaning Services.

8.2. Exclusion

The Transport department reserves the right to exclude from the bus any user whose direct conduct (child himself/herself) or indirect conduct (via the conduct of a parent, guardian, etc.) :

• does not comply with the usual rules of behavior and etiquette (for children in particular, based on the 10 golden rules of transport - see the documentation page on our website), 

• engage in harassment, 

• commits acts of verbal or physical aggression or vandalism.

Exclusion will be at the discretion of the Transport department, and all decisions will be communicated in writing. No reimbursement will be made in the event of exclusion.

8.3. Damages

The Transport Service is not responsible for any damage or injury caused by children on school transport. The costs incurred by the perpetrator of the damage will be charged to the parents..

9. Rules to be followed by children and/or parents

9.1. Parents' responsibilities

9.1. a/ Behaviour

Service Transport reserves the right to exclude any parent (and therefore their child) whose conduct does not comply with the usual rules of behavior (lack of respect, physical or verbal violence towards a member of staff/supervisor/driver/child/other parent) or commits acts of vandalism.

9.1. b/ Communication

Parents are responsible for ensuring that their personal details and order are always correct and updated in the event of any changes. Parents undertake to notify the Transport Service of any changes, whether permanent or temporary.

9.1. c/ Change of address during the school year

In case of change of address during the year. Parents must inform the Transport Service in writing at least 15 days before the change of address. Children may be re-enrolled on another bus subject to availability.
We advise parents to check if there is a bus stop nearby and to contact the Transport Service to ensure that the stop is available and active. If there is no stop in the vicinity, the Transport Service will consider the possibility of adding a new stop on a case-by-case basis, but no guarantee can be given to the requesting parents.
The list of municipalities served by the BXL1 Transport Service can be found in point 2 of these rules.

9.1. d/ For the morning

Parents and children are present at the stop 5 minutes before the theoretical time indicated in their order. By present, the Transport department means being on the spot, visible and ready to board as soon as the vehicle arrives.
Parents are responsible for supervising their children until they actually board the bus. For safety reasons, the youngest children are placed at the front of the bus and never in the central seat at the back. Parents are not authorized to board the vehicle for any reason whatsoever, except with the express written agreement of the Transport Department. The bus team has the right to fix the seats on the bus in a general, particular, punctual or permanent way.

9.1. e/ For the return

Kindergarten and Primary 1 children are NEVER allowed to get off at their stop alone. Parents are required to meet them or arrange for a third party to be present at the stop. They must arrange to meet the children entrusted to them at the stop, on the right side of the road where the bus stops. They must be visible and ready to greet the children as soon as the bus arrives.

For children in Primary 2 to Secondary 1, parents must CHOOSE whether or not to allow their child to disembark alone. This must be entered in the child's order. If they do not give permission, parents must arrange to meet their children at the stop, on the right side of the road where the bus stops. They must be visible and ready to welcome the children as soon as the bus arrives.

From Secondary 2 onwards, children are ALWAYS allowed to disembark at their stop alone.

After leaving the bus, the pupils are no longer under the supervision of the driver and/or the supervisor. From that moment on, the parents of the pupils transported are responsible for them. 

N.B. 1.: For children whose brothers/sisters have the authorization to get off alone, the Transport service considers that the latter will take charge of their younger brothers/sisters (who do not have the authorization) in case of absence of the parents, unless the parents give a written indication to the Transport service at the beginning of the school year.
N.B. 2: For children going to an activity organised outside the school, the Transport service declines all responsibility in the event that the activity is cancelled and there are no monitors to welcome the children at the place of training/activity. Please pay particular attention to this following the change in Belgian school rhythms.

9.2. Students' obligations

9.2. a/ In the afternoon

In the afternoon, students leaving classes must, if necessary, pass through the amenities and then get to their bus as quickly as possible. Once in the parking lot, they must get on the bus immediately and not get off again until departure.

9.2. b/ Badges for nursery and primary school children

Children in primary and nursery classes should carry a badge indicating their class, bus, stop and telephone numbers where parents can be contacted. All this information should be indicated on the first page of the diary and updated if there is a change of address, bus, etc. This does not exempt parents from ensuring that their children know where to get off the bus so that they do not get off at another stop.

9.2. c/ Seat belts

All bus users must wear seat belts throughout the journey.
For safety reasons, transport (and only one member of the team while the bus is still parked on school premises) reserves the right to remove any secondary school pupil who is reluctant to wear a seatbelt.
In the case of a kindergarten or primary school child, parents will receive an e-mail from Transport asking them to remind their child of this rule. In the event of a reminder, the Transport department reserves the right to exclude the child for a period.

9.2. d/ Arrival at the school

In the morning, when the buses arrive at the school, pupils are obliged to enter the school site, even if they do not have lessons in the first period. The control of the exit regime is done in Opstal.

9.3. Pupils' prohibitions

9.3. a/ Various objects

Students are not allowed to bring dangerous objects (knives, penknives, lasers, etc.) onto the parking lots or buses. Other troublesome objects (balls, marbles, etc.) must remain in the bags as soon as they arrive at the parking lots. The Transport department and bus crews reserve the right to confiscate any object deemed dangerous or a source of dispute.

9.3. b/ Opening of the bus doors

Pupils are not allowed to operate doors and windows unless authorised by the supervisor.

9.3. c/ Smoking, drinking and/or eating

No smoking, drinking (except water in hot weather) or eating on the bus.

9.3. d/ Getting children off at another stop

It is forbidden to let kindergarten, primary and secondary school children off the bus at a stop other than the one indicated in their order, except with the prior written request of the parents. On the return journey, kindergarten and primary pupils may not get off the bus if the person who normally waits for them is absent (unless prior written authorisation has been given by the parents, either permanently via their order or exceptionally via e-mail). In this case, the supervisor must keep the child on the bus, alert the Transport Office (who will contact the parents) and wait for instructions. If necessary, the supervisor must :

• Ask the driver to take the child back to the school or bus company office after the tour is over;

• Drop the child off at the nearest Police office - this will always be used as a last resort.

In all cases, parents will be informed of the decision taken by telephone or by email as a last resort.

9.4. Attitude and behaviour

9.4. a/ Rules of conduct and politeness to be respected

The Transport Service draws up rules for pupils which define, among other things, the rules of conduct and politeness to be respected by children in the vehicles. Among other things, children are asked to be civic-minded and to respect the rolling stock. An infographic of the golden rules to be respected in the bus is displayed in the bus, is given to each kindergarten and primary school child during the safety training per class and can also be downloaded from our website in the document section.

The rules are as follows:

1. Be on time for the bus - whether it's in the morning near my house or at school before the buses leave. Be there at least 5 minutes before departure.

2. Don't play around and on the bus - car parks and buses are not playgrounds as I can't play safely on them.

3. Get on and off the bus calmly - steps are often high for me, I get on and off calmly without jumping, pushing others and holding on tight.

4. Fasten your seatbelt - wearing a seatbelt is compulsory throughout the journey. As on planes, I have to wait until the bus has come to a complete stop before I can unbuckle myself and stand up.

5. Remain seated - as I have to be buckled up for the whole journey, I must of course remain seated properly in my seat looking forward.

6. Respect the driver and the attendant - they are there to take me home or to school safely. I should listen to their instructions and show respect for them.

7. Do not eat or drink - the bus is used for other services, so I cannot eat or drink on the bus to avoid soiling the bus. Also in case of an accident, I could choke or choke if I am eating or drinking at the time.

8. Don't shout - on the bus there are many of us and the space is closed. If everyone starts shouting it is not pleasant for anyone and it can also be dangerous for the driver's concentration and therefore my safety.

9. Be considerate of others - the bus can become a bit of a 'second class', I get to know the other children, my carer and my driver better and show respect and empathy to them.

10. Don't forget anything - when I get off I check that I have all my things with me.

The Transport Service reserves the right to take disciplinary action where these rules are repeatedly breached or where pupils are responsible for incidents which endanger the safety of other children, the driver, the supervisor or any other person or damage the rolling stock.

9.4. b/ Compliance with the instructions given

Children must follow the instructions given by the supervisor or the driver.

9.4. c/ Attitude during travel

During the journey, children should remain seated and buckle up.

9.4. d/ Places in the bus

For safety reasons, the youngest children are placed at the front of the bus and never in the middle seat at the back. 
The bus team has the right to fix the places in the bus in a general, particular, punctual or permanent way. It is not obliged to take account of children's friendships.

9.4. e/ Photos in the bus

It is forbidden to take photos of other bus users, whether on the bus, at stops or in the parking lot, even with the consent of the person concerned.

9.5. Valuables and lost property

The Transport department accepts no responsibility for items lost on the buses. The Transport department is not obliged to search for such items if the request is made more than 24 hours after the alleged loss.

10. Rules related to vehicles

10.1. Obligations of the companies' specifications

The Transport Service renews the contracts with the various subcontracted bus companies on an annual basis. These contracts are accompanied by specifications that include the type of bus, its capacity and certain technical characteristics. In particular, the buses are required to have a functional heating system for the winter and ventilation for the summer. The air-conditioning system is therefore not part of this obligation.

10.2. Belgian standards

Vehicles and drivers must comply with the Belgian regulations in force (insurance, technical inspection, etc.). In collaboration with the local police zone and at the request of the Transport Service, buses and drivers may be inspected at any time during the school year, either near the school or in certain cases within the school (in this case with the prior agreement of the school management).

10.3. School signs

The vehicle must be equipped with 2 yellow signs indicating that it is involved in school pick-up operations.

10.4. Routes

In the interests of users, local residents, drivers and rolling stock, avoid too long and too many journeys in residential areas (speed hazards, narrow streets, etc.).

10.5. Unofficial stops

The carrier may not stop his vehicle at non-prescribed stops on his route. The stops are communicated each year to Brussels-Mobility, which officially registers them. Any incident outside these official stops may not be covered by the school's and/or the companies' insurance.

11. Rules related to mobile phones

All the services of the APEEE Services comply with the school's policy on personal mobile phones at EEB1.